(04-17-2018 06:13 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  So NAIA now has 4 schools in Arizona (Ottawa, Benedictine, ACU and Embry-Riddle). If Park starts athletics in Gilbert, they would want NAIA, so that would be 5

Park is indeed planning on starting athletics, next year. If that's the case I would expect an NAIA application in October. It would follow a similar trajectory as Ottawa in Surprise.

Your implication though is that of an Arizona conference. I've though about that for the last couple of days. I doubt it will come to be. The bare minimum is 6, and at that size you are just 1 school failure or association change from a failed conference. And all schools would have to support the same sports, or you would still have sports that aren't in an officially recognized conference. Meaning you'd still have to rely on other conferences affiliations for scheduling. Now if you get to 7, THEN you've got my attention. However I don't see other existing candidates in Arizona. There's an art school in Tucson, but it's really small...

I think the likely outcome will be for the metro Phoenix schools to become travel partners. ACU paired with Ottawa in the GSAC, and Benedictine-Mesa with Park in the Cal Pac.